The Real Me
by knick-knack-15
Summary: Taylor's father suddenly comes back into her life when he's not wanted. By anyone. Especially when she has to reveal a few secrets of her past and present. Chaylor.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my new fic! Since I have two others in progress, the chapters for this one won't be as frequent until the others are complete. So… here we go!**

Everyone at school said that I was lucky. I got to leave school early. But I would rather be sitting in a boring classroom learning about stuff that I had already programmed into my head then pacing the floor of the lobby in the hospital, waiting on news about my mother. All I knew wasthat it was bad. Bad enough to get me pulled out of school early.

And what was extra sweet was that Gabriella actually _ditched_. She ditched school to watch me worry over my mother. Every ten minutets, she would assure me that everything was going to be okay. "Your mother is going to be fine." she calmly sat in a chair next to the fish tank.

"McKessie?" a nurse in scrubs came into the lobby. I froze and turned to her. "You can see your mother now." she led the way for me and Gabriella into her room.

No wires, or tubes, or anything else that would give a heart attack, just an IV running into her chocolate brown arm. "Mom?" I asked quietly.

"Shh... she's sleeping." the nurse informed me. "She gave us quite the scare shen she didn't wake up. But every once in a while we get her up and make her tell us her name and the date. Just to make sure."

"What... what happened?" I asked, taking her warm hand.

"No one really knows yet." she shrugged, scribbling notes on a clipboard. "We're still waiting for more information. And witnesses. Maybe."

"Taylor?" Gabriella asked quietly, "I'm going to go down to the gift shop for a minute. Grab a soda. Do you want anything?" she stood from the chair by the door, waving her purse.

I shook my head no and continued squeezing my mother's hand. The nurse silently left the room, leaving me with my mother. I looked her over. How could they _not _know what happened? How were they going to treat her if they didn't know? I looked over her white gown, noticing a patch of blood on the fabric by her ribs.

My heart picked up its pace. I panicked and pressed the button by the door, bringing a nurse for assistance. That same nurse rushed into the room, looking a little frazzled. "So you decided to keep it a secret from me that she was _cut_?" I asked. "How do you forget something like that?"

"Ms. McKessie, I was told to hold back on the news until your mother woke up." the nurse told me cautiously. "I was only following an order."

Mom stirred in her bed, her eyes only slivers. "Hmmmm...?" a low humming noise came from her lips.

"Mom?" I squeezed her hand again.

"Taylor..." she sighed. "Let me sleep." her eyes shut again. I turned to see the nurse leaving the room again. I smiled down at my mother, knowing that what Gabriella had said was true. My mother _was _going to be okay.

"Taylor..." Gabriella re-entered the room, a man right at her heels. "This guy says he knows you?"

I looked to the tall man behind Gabriella, immediately becoming really, really pissed. He reeked of alcohol. "Heyyyyyyy, Tay Tay." he slurred. "Aren't you gonna give Daddy a kiss?"

**Please Read and Review! How did you like it?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all of the reviews for my my newest fic!**

**Rated T- For language, alcohol references, and family abuse.**

**Disclaimer- Now, if I honestly owned High School Musical, I would be on the set right now, helping with the sequel.**

I grimaced, backing against the wall as he stepped forward. "Dad? What are you doing here? You need to leave. Like, _right now_." I fingered the button on the wall and the nurse came in, but a little slower.

Dad looked a little hurt that he was being thrown out. I looked over his shoulder to see Gabriella nervously chewing on her lip, throwing silent sorrys in my direction with her eyes. Dad _reeked_. Of alcohol and dirt and trash from always being on the streets. "Is everything alright?" the nurse sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you being here. Did you sign-in in the lobby?" she asked, crinkling her eyebrows.

"Psht, this is my wife." he rolled his eyes and stumbled toward the bed. He licked his thumb and wiped small hairs away from Mom's hairline. "I don't gotta sign in nowhere."

The nurse looked to me for approval. I vigorously shook my head. My dad caught the movement. "What, Tay Tay, you don't want me here? I came from all the way downtown to see my wife in the hospital. It was on the news and everything." I wondered how he could actually watch the TV, his eyes were so unfocused.

"Dad, she's not your wife." I shook my head. This was _so _embarrassing. And in front of Gabriella? "Please, just leave." I pointed to the door. "All you're gonna do is cause trouble."

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave too, sir." the nurse nervously wrung her hands. "Before I have to call security."

Dad put his dirty hands up in surrender. "Fine then." he rolled his eyes, stepping out the door. "But you my baby, Tay. Always remember that. You even look like me." he grinned, noticing how I shuddered at the fact of being related to that man.

* * *

"Oh, gosh, what is _he _doing here?" I slammed my forehead against the window of Gabriella's 2004 Saturn. She came to a stop in front of her driveway. 

Chad stood up from a porch chair, coming over to the car. "Hey, what's going on?" he opened the car door for me. I helped myself out and leaned against the door. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." I nodded and continued my lie. "My mom just needed me... for something." I could feel Gabriella burning a hole in my back. "But no worries."

"Then why did Gabriella go with you?" he questioned.

"I... um..." I panicked, not knowing where to go next with my big lie. "You never answered my question." I quickly changed the subject. "You know, about the Science homework... from yesterday..." it was all in the toilet.

Chad zipped up his Wildcats sweatshirt. "I skipped basketball practice and went out of my way to meet you here at Gabriella's house. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" he knit his brows together in confusion.

There was no way... in _hell _that I was going to tell him. About Dad. About Mom. And about the rest of my crappy life. Because a woman who had always given me the best was lying in a hospital bed. And I don't know why. But I had a strong feeling that it wasn't her fault. I shook my head. "Everything is perfect. I swear."

Chad licked his lips and suspiciously looked me over once more before turning around and heading out in his Honda Accord.

* * *

I dug my spoon into the carton of Moose Tracks between Gabriella and me, turning my attention back to "Friends". "Tay..." Gabriella started.

"Don't call me that." I snapped, mindlessly staring at the screen. "Please." I added.

"Why did you lie to Chad like that?" she asked, turning off the set. "He would understand."

"No, he wouldn't. _You _don't even understand, Gabriella. Please... can we just drop it? In fact, I'm sort of tired. We've still got school tomorrow, you know."

Gabriella's eyes found mine. She looked sort of fed up with the way I was shutting everyone out. But you would too, if your mother was in a hospital over something you have no clue about. I wished that I could've stayed with her, instead of being interrogated by my supposed best friend. "Okay. But remember... I'm here for you. And so's Chad. He cares. If he didn't he wouldn't have gone out of his way just to see if you're okay. You know that, right?"

I shook my head and rolled my eyes as if to say, 'Duh!'. "Goodnight, Gabriella." I told her.

But I knew. And it made the situation and the pure drama about to be released a little bit easier to handle.

**Another chapter! Please tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all of your cool reviews!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Disney nuthin'.**

I mindlessly ran my thumb over Mom's stitches right above her hip bone. My head rested against her chest and she tightly held my wrist. "It's okay, Talyor. It's not your fault. We're finally going home." she smiled, stroking my arm.

:Flashback:

_"There are no complications." Dr. Johnson said simply, continuing to sew Mom's cut back together. "Looks like you're going home this afternoon. He smiled seeing my mother's face light up. "Just take it easy for a while."_

_My mom squeezed my arm. I winced seeing the needle weave in and out of Mom's smooth skin. _

_"Finished." Dr. Johnson smiled inwardly, taking off his spectacles._

_"Do... you guys think you can tell me what happened now? I mean... it's been weeks. And I need to know what's going on." I asked cautiously. My mother's eyes shifted from Dr. Johnson to me. Then back again._

_"I'll leave this one to you, Ms. McKessie." he bowed slightly. "Have a nice afternoon." and he left._

_"You can tell me." I squeezed her hand, helping her sit up. She held her newly stitched hip and winced in pain. "It won't disturb me or anything."_

_"When you left early for school that one morning, you know Latrelle from across the street..."_

_Who**didn't **know Latrelle? She could be found at two in the morning playing loud degrading music, smoking, and drinking on her front step, totally disturbing the peace, and accusing people of 'getting in her business'._

_"What did she **do **to you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes._

_"I had called the police the night before. Her brother had gotten arrested that afternoon. Taylor... she could've done a lot worse... imagine of that blade had gone just a little bit deeper or..." Mom looked panicked._

_"**Blade?**" my eyes widened. I didn't want to hear anymore. "This is all my fault." my voice trembled. "If I hadn't left early for a Decathalon meeting..."_

_"Don't you even finish that sentence." she said firmly, frowning at me. She shook with anger, standing up. "Help me pack."_

:End Flashback:

But there was still a part of me that _did _want to complete that sentence. If I hadn't left early for that Decathalon meeting...

"It's okay." Mom wiped a tear away from my cheek. I hadn't realized that I was sobbing into her chest. "We're going to start over."

* * *

I made it back to school in time for lunch. I silently sat down at the table with Gabriella and Sharpay. "Hey, guys."I said perkily.

Sharpay slowly reached across the table, taking my hand. "You don't have to act strong, Taylor." she slowly nodded, pouting.

I laughed. "It's okay, Shar, my mom's at home now." I reassured her.

"Chad's really worried about you, Taylor. He told me you're all he's been thinking about lately." she looked across the cafeteria to where he wassitting withTroy. They looked back to me simultaneously and waved, I turned away.

"Well, you can tell him that's he's got nothing to worrry about." I lied. "Because everything's going_ just perfect_." I found myself snapping out the last two words.

* * *

"Can... I walk you home?" Chad came behind me, taking my hand. "I've never seen your house before." he shrugged. And that was the way I wanted to keep it. Him seeing where I lived would link to everything else that was going on. And when he found out he would turn his back on me too.

"I'm stopping at Gabriella's house." I lied. "So what's the point?"

"Really?" he crinkled his eyebrows together and smirked. "She told me she had a job interview this afternoon. She's on her way there right now."

I tore my hand away from his. "Just lay off, Chad!" I found myself yelling. "You act like you have to know everything about me! I said I don't want you to walk me home, so _don't_. Simple logic." I shook my head. And before I noticed Chad's face falling, I stormed down the hallway to the exit, mixing in with the rest of the student body.

It was all my fault.

_Everything _was turning into my fault.

And I still hadn't told Mom that Dad came back.

**There it is! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I really like that you guys are truly speaking your minds about this fic. For example:**

**ChaylorLover4ever- Why the hell is she being so damn mean to him?**

**Mocha Addict- Chapter 1- What is wrong with her? And screw her dad.**

**Thanks a lot!**

"Mom?" I looked up to her. "Mom... please... listen."

Her back was still turned to me as she continued to mutter to herself and scrub the stovetop. "Mom..." I stood up. "I'm... I'm really sorry you had to hear it this way..."

She continued to ignore me. "I've also got to pick up the dry cleaning..." I head her say. "Get someone in here to fix the upstairs humidifier..."

"Mom!" I shouted. She stopped. And she turned to me.

"Taylor, I was in that hospital for weeks. And you decide to tell me _now _that he came back? That he was in my _hospital room?_" she became a little louder. "I don't have time to deal with this, Taylor." she began shaking.

"I'm really sorry." I sank back into my chair, wishing I was only two inches tall. "This is all my fault. But what can I do now?"

"He found us." she sighed, dropping her rag and shuffling out of the kitchen, down the hallway to her room. "I can't believe he found us."

* * *

"She's really mad at me." plopped onto the concrete in defeat. "I mean, if he's back in town, then he's bound to come here." 

"It's gonna be okay, Taylor." Gabriella assured me on the other end of the phone. I was beginning to lose trust in 'It's going to be okay', because it always turned out worse.

"Hey, Taylor!" I heard a shout from across the street. The night was growing quickly, so it was becoming difficult to see who was out there. But she continued anyway with, "Latrelle's in juvy thanks to your mom." she spat. "I swear you're gonna pay for this!" But I had already swooped back into the house as the champagne bottles smashed against the pavement of our front steps.

"What's happening out there?" Mom came from her room.

"They're throwing glass!" my eyes widened as I slid down the door. "They're throwing champagne glasses at us, Mom." I shook my head.

"I'm calling the police." she sighed, brushing hair back from her forehead. "This'll be the third time this week..."

"Mom, no!" I wailed, racing her to the cordless phone, "They're already angry." Suddenly, two slams came at our front door. I pressed my body against the worn wood as someone on the other side attempted to break down the door.

Mom went for the phone anyways, pressing the last digit to the police department just as I felt something break through the wood and press into my back. "Mom! Stop!" I screamed as the door opened a few centimeters. I pressed my weight against it, slamming it shut again.

She was shaking as she hung up the phone. "They're on their way." she joined me.

"Open up, bitches!" I heard a shout on the other side of the door. "We've already broken the door."

Whatever was pressing against my back was beginning to send hot searing pains through my spine. I winced as the door pressed open again. "What are they using?" I asked myself quietly.

Suddenly, a smash could be heard from my room.

**Hmmm... would this be considered a cliffhanger? PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all of the reviews and thanks for speaking your minds about the story! Please continue!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own HSM, okay?**

"Watch your head." one of the police officers guided Bina, Latrelle's sister into his car. Her partner in crime, Mallory was already sitting.

"Can someone tell me what happened here?" I snapped my attention back to the police oficer in front of me, holding a notepad, ready to take notes. I squeezed my mom's hand and tried my hardest not to think about the cut slapped across my back as the story spilled out for the officer.

_:Flashback:_

_"Taylor, get the bat from the closet in my room." Mom almost growled at me as the door attempted to open again. "Hurry!"_

_But I was stuck in place. The pain in my back was making its way to my feet. "I... I can't move. Mom, they're in the house!" I screamed. Another crash came from my room._

_:End Flashback:_

"How much is missing?" The officer continued to scribble notes.

"My pocketbook is gone." Mom offered. She looked to me. I was too afraid to check.

_:Flashback:_

_Mallory trudged down the hallway towards us. "How could you do this to Latrelle?" I could tell she was only there to talk, and not murder us as I kept telling myself they were. "She didn't do anything to you." Except stab her, duh._

_"Please," Mom breathed, "just get out of my house."_

_:End Flashback:_

"You know the rest." Mom sighed, running her hand lightly across my back. The cut was fresh and sensitive and I jumped under her touch. "So what's next? I really just want to move on."

"For right now... we're going to have to stay on the crime scene." the officer winced. "Which means..."

"That we have to leave?" Mom asked simply. "Of course. Taylor, pack your things, you're staying with Gabriella." Things were happening so quickly, I really didn't have the chance to analyze everything that was happening.

I slowly turned to the front door across the street to see a pocket knife protruding from the wood of the door. The cut on my back suddenly stung, thinking about that weapon actually breaking the skin.

* * *

Gabriella kept her gaze on me as I turned to the next page of my text book in study hall. "What do you want?" I whispered. "Stop looking at me." 

"It was on the _news_, Taylor." she shook her head. "It was on the local news. Aren't you a little worried?" she silently shut her notebook and shifted towards me.

"It's none of your businiess, Gabriella." I snapped at her. When would she learn to concern herself with... _herself? _"You think I don't worry day in and day out? Gosh, Gabriella, take a look at my mother! Take a look at _me!_ Just... stay out of my issues." I shook my head and waved her away.

"You show up on my front step at eleven in the evening with a duffle bag, Taylor..." Gabriella's voice raised a little, "and you say it's not _my issue? _This is _my _problem just as it is yours."

"How?" my voice kicked up a notch. "Explain to me how this is your problem. _My _mother was in the hospital, Gabriella. _My _father showed up as high as a kite. And _my _home was broken into. Not yours." I pointed to her. "So lay it out on the table for me. _How is this your problem?_" I found myself shouting. The room was dead silent. Gabriella held her gaze,

"Because I _care _about you, Taylor." she said quietly. "That's how it's my problem. Do you know how much you're hurting Chad?" she crinkled her eyebrows.

I didn't even want to hear that name. I jumped from my seat, running from the room in a flurry of tears and loose leaf paper.

* * *

"You know, I saw the strangest thing on the news last night." Chad smiled to me as I pulled books out of my locker. I had cooled down from the heated argument I had had with Gabriella, and I actually found myself happy to be with Chad. Until that exact moment. 

"Look, I have to go." I quickly closed my locker, but Chad was right at my heels.

"Was that your house with the pocket knife stuck in the door? I mean, I heard the last name, 'McKessie' and the house is in our area..." he explained.

"I need my space, Chad." I ordered him through gritted teeth. He grabbed my free wrist and spun me around. "Let go."

"What's been with you lately?" he gave me a playful smile and pulled me close. I squirmed away from his grasp starting down the hallway. "Where are you going?" he called after me.

"Why can't you just take a hint? _Leave me alone!_"

**Another slow chapter... I just don't know where to pick up... I've got the plot down perfectly and everything... just executing it is the hard part. Any suggestions? I know this chapter seems to make no sense, but you can stil review! Please?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry that the previous chapter was so slow. It was like, two in the morning, and if I had been caught on the computer, that would have been the last time you ever heard from me. EVER.**

**Disclaimer- Your mom.**

"This isn't permenant, Gabriella." She and I finally made up. We were sifting through the things in my house, deciding on the things that I should take and leave. "I'll be out of your place in no time."

"You're not a burden or anything." she shook her head, lifting a a T-shirt out of my dresser.

The doorbell rang. "Be right back." I left the room and went to answer the door. My heart lifted into my throat. "Dad... you can't be here." I attemted pushing the damaged door shut, but he held it open with his foot.

He reeked of body odor and weed. "It's okay, Tay, can't I see my little girl?" he pressed all of his weight against the wood and forced the door open. I stumbled backwards. "What, you don't wanna see me? After the way you got me kicked out of your mom's hospital room, you owe me somethin'." he laughed and ventured into the kitchen.

"Mom's not home, Daddy." I immediately regretted saying that. He looked up from the opened refrigerator. "You need to leave."

"Mind if I wash up, then?" he slammed the door shut. "I haven't had a shower in weeks, girl. And what has that woman been feedin' ya? All I see is green stuff in that fridge." he shook his head and laughed again.

"No, you can't shower here. Get out." I pointed to the door. "Now."

"You can't talk to your daddly like that, girl." he slurred. "Can I at least borrow a few dollars? Man's gotta eat." he shrugged.

"How did you find us anyway?" I felt like crying. This was turning into a disaster. I just wanted that bad influence out of the house before Gabriella saw him, or worse-my mom. "If I give you money, will you leave?" But I didn't wait for an answer. I quickly hastened to my room and pulled out my pocketbook.

"Who was at the door?" Gabriella asked, folding blouses and laying them on my bed. I ignored her and yanked a twenty dollar bill away from my savings.

I crumpled the dollar up when I reached the hallway and saw that my father was in my mom's room. "Get out of here!" I shouted, seeing him lift two necklaces off of my mother's dresser. "Dad!" I wailed, "Put those down!"

He didn't listen. He started towards the door. "I'll sell them and make a few bucks of my own." He snatched the dollar ball out of my hand and swung open the door. "Thanks, Tay Tay. You really are my little girl."

"No!" I reached for the fist holding the two necklaces. My mother was going to kill me.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't tell your mother about this." he smiled grimly. "Love you." he grinned before strolling down the front steps.

"_I hate you!_" I shouted after him.

* * *

"I'm really sorry, Taylor." Gabriella frowned. "I should have noticed the really bad smell wating through the house." she shook her head. 

I couldn't open my suitcase. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. For a reason I can't explain, I felt as if opening my suitcase would seal the deal, and I would never see my own home again. Suddenly, the sound of pebbles hitting glass sounded at Gabriella's window. And guess who it was...

"That's way too _Romeo and Juilet _for my taste, Chad." I rolled my eyes and leaned out of Gabriella's window. "What do you want?"

"You sort of left school in a hurry. And you're always here. What's up with that?" he craned his neck to see me in the second story window. All of my worries suddenly melted away, and all I wanted to do was talk to Chad. Too bad I couldn't really tell him what was going on, because I would lose him, just like I almost lost my mother and how I lost my home. "Can I come up?"

"No, I'm coming down." I moved away from the window and smiled to Gabriella. "Don't wait up."

* * *

Chad's fingers laced in mine as we walked next to the creek behind his house. "It's getting really dark." he sighed, "Maybe I should take you home. It's only a few blocks from here. We can make it before night."

I stayed silent as the sun began slipping past the tall trees, sending streaks of pink and orange across the evening sky. "Taylor?" Chad stopped walking. "What's been going on lately? You always say everything's fine, but after the day you left school early..."

"You really want to know?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "My _dad_. That's what's been going on lately. It's hard to explain, and once I spill the beans, you'll scram, just like everything else."

"I want to know." he pulled me close. "Because I really want to help. How is your father an issue?"

"He's on every drug you can ever imagine." It was like an out-of-body experience, actually telling someone what's been going on. "And just this afternoon, he showed up on my doorstep. He stole a few of my mom's necklaces, and he says he going to use the money to eat, but we all know he's just going to buy alcohol with it." I shrugged. We began walking on the water's edge again.

"So that explains it." Chad said.

"That doesn't even _begin _to cover it, Chad." I told him. "Are you sure you want to hear about my past?"

_:Flashback:_

_"Give me another one, Daddy." I laughed from the backseat. I gripped my pencil with no eraser and limp piece of notebook paper._

_"Hmmm... okay... 3296 divided by twenty-six." he called from the steering wheel._

_My pencil flew across the paper at a surprising speed. Only seconds later, I shouted out, "One hundred twenty-six and eighty-five hundredths!" I giggled, "Again!" My parents found it amazing that at seven years old, I had a passion for solving math problems. They never showed it, but they were guilty beyond belief that they couldn't give me better. We lived out of our van, and seeing running water was rare for us._

_So when we pulled into a gas station, you could probably guess how ecstatic I was to dunk my matted hair into a sink filled to the brim with warm water and anti-bacterial soap. We were always given strange looks, but honestly, I didn't care. It wasn't like I would ever see those people again._

_I spotted my dad stuffing a few candy bars into his jacket pockets and making his way out the door without getting caught. To us, it wasn't a crime. It was a way of surviving._

_:End Flashback:_

"Oh, God, Taylor." Chad sounded concerned. We sat on the soaking wet grass as I continued.

_:Flashback:_

_Red and blue lights flashed against the metal of our van door. I curled into a small ball in the backseat as Daddy was pulled out of the driver's seat and slammed into the cop car, not even being told his rights._

_And time moved on. Mom drove the van, and I never saw my father again. Stops at gas stations reduced and finding refuge in local shelters became the best thing ever. But my mother frequently made us leave, as she didn't want to be called a 'charity case'._

_"Can you give me a math problem?" I asked her quietly one day in the van._

_:End Flashback:_

I leaned into Chad and he wrapped his arm around my back. "Thanks for listening." I whispered.

_:Flashback:_

_Mom shook the pinched lady's hand. "It was really nice doing business with you." she smiled before handing over the keys to the one story house behind us. I turned to it, filled with a new hope. This was my home._

_But there was no real family to fill it._

_"We're going to have to work extra hard, Taylor, to keep this place." she squeezed me as we looked at the plain white house._

_:End Flashback:_

"Why do you think I'm always striving towards getting good grades? It's not just because I'm smart, it's because I was told to work hard."

_:Flashback:_

_Freshman year hit me like a ton of bricks. "You're going to do really well, Taylor." Mom smiled in the rearview mirror. "I know it." She suddenly let out a squeal and slammed her foot on the brakes as a man rolled out onto the street._

_He stood, blood trickling from his nose onto his dirtied white shirt. He held Mom's gaze until she pressed her palm on the horn for as long as it took him to get a clue and move out of the way. He gave a yellow smile and waved before stalking onto the other side of the street._

_It was my daddy, looking as worse as ever._

_:End Flashback:_

By the end of my story, Chad was holding me to his chest, letting me sob. His chin rested on the top of my head. "It's okay," he whispered, "I'm here to _help_."

**Wasn't that SAD? AWwwwww... Anywayz, please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Are you touched by my previous chapter? And OMG, I just found out that the story, _A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes _is OVER! I'm not even letting it penetrate, because that is SO heart-breaking!**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing associated to High School Musical, except the DVD that's under my pillow**

"You _told_ him? Taylor, that's great!" Gabriella gushed. But I wasn't really tuned into her excitement. I pressed my nose against the glass that Chad had once been throwing pebbles against and shuttled through that day's events.

"You know what was really amazing though?" I turned to Gabriella. "He just held me. And he _listened_." **(Wahoo, HiddenCries77!)**

"Then what's the hold up? Ask him out already!" Gabriella turned away from her homework and waited for my response. What did she know anyway? Gabriella is so used to playing the 'Maybe another time' game with Troy, that those words could easily flow from her mouth with no effect.

"You have got to be kidding." I rolled my eyes. "_Now?_ Gabriella, my father has been hunting us down, just to mess things up. And now that he found us, there's no way I'm bringing Chad into this." I shook my head. He was too good for a crisis like this. "At least not now."

"You're the one who said that he wants to help." Gabriella offered. "And there's no way you could look me in the eye and say that Chad Danforth isn't madly in love with you."

I narrowed my eyes and looked straight into hers. "Chad Danforth is _not_..." but the words fell from my mouth. I laughed. "Okay, maybe you're right."

* * *

"So... are you sure you're okay?" Chad was breathing down my neck... _again_. Throughout the entire day, I caught him sheltered behind empty corridors watching me silently, assuming that I was going to go jump off of the roof of the school. I may have been depressed, but I wasn't suicidal. But it was better to have Chad worrying about me then slipping some of his newfound information to his friends. 

"Yes, Chad, I'm _fine_." I had the urge to reach out and squeeze Chad around the neck, but settled on my backpack strap instead. I suddenly felt _so _embarrased that I had _told _Chad, because he wasn't treating me the same. If I had told him to beat it prior to the secrets, he would have been gone. But now...

"Do you need anything? Because I'm happy to get it for you." He offered. It was awfully sweet, but awfully annoying at the same time. I stayed silent, continuing down the hallway. "Taylor... the exit is _that_ way." he said, pointing in the opposite direction.

I swung open a brown wooden door, and he almost followed me in! "Chad! I'm going to the bathroom. Trust me, I don't need any help in here." I rolled my eyes and shook my head before slamming the door shut in his face.

* * *

"I take it school was a little better. Considering the grin plastered on your face." Gabriella smiled behind the wheel of her Saturn. She turned into my old neighborhood so I could gather the rest of my belongings and be out of that house until the authorities were finished. 

I nodded. Things were defnitely taking a turn for the better.

But I spoke too soon.

"Oh, mygod!" Gabriella exclaimed as her car came to a stop in front of my home. Familiar blue and red flashing lights reflected off of the broken door. A single strip of caution tape ran over the entry way and officers had to jump over it to enter the house, and to abandon it. "What's going on?" she asked, slamming her car door behind her.

"Ms. McKessie!" The same police officer from the night a few of Latrelle's friends had broke in chased me down as I approached the caution tape. "Where were you quarter after one..." he started. I extended a hand to his face.

"I just _got _here, and you're already interrogating me?" I hitched up my knee-lenght skirt and stepped over the caution tape, and into my worst nightmare. We had been ransacked. Tables and dressers were turned over, opened food containers had been emptied onto the carpeted and tiled areas. As I stepped into the kitchen, a single butcher's knife was left on the stained stovetop. "Holy shit..." I muttered.

"_Taylor!_" Gabriella shouted from my room. As I raced across the living room, I saw that our television was gone. The cushions to our couch had been torn to shreds of fabric and cotton. I leaped over the shards of broken glass littering the maroon carpet and into my room.

And I instantly regretted it.

My room was _empty_. There was absolutely nothing left. My three prized possesions: the book, _Little Women_, the four-foot tall Scholastic Decathalon championshipstrophy, and the one and only picture I possessed of Chad were gone. And that broke my heart the most. My gasp echoed off of the empty walls.

Another gasp came from behind me. I turned to see my mother with her face in her hands. "My house..." she wailed. Only three years before, my mother had told me that we had to work hard to keep our house. Now disaster had plagued on us, and we hadn't even done anything to deserve it. I suddenly didn't feel sad anymore. I was furious. Whoever had done this had done it because... they just _could_. They didn't even know the lives they were destroying.

"Taylor, I am _so sorry_." Gabriella gently placed a hand on my shoulder. I immediately shook it off. I really didn't need pity. She said she was sorry... but it wasn't like she really meant it. I was tired of people being sorry. It was time for people to think before they acted.

Where was my mother going to stay? Would I have to start my wardrobe all over again? Oh, God, what was _Chad _going to think? How much was this going to all cost? Would we be able to afford it? And one last question gnawed and gnawed at me...

_Who would do this?_

**Please, PLEASE review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**What to say...**

**what to say...**

**hmmm...**

Mom was circling pictures of houses. I gazed at her as she uncapped her black Magic Marker once again and ran a circle around a house over and over again. She would flip to the next page of a real estate magazine and circle all over again. When she had completed that magazine, she would toss it into the pile next to her, and fish out a brand new one. "We're getting out of here, Taylor." she mumbled. "Not too far away, just a house where your father can't find us. New house, and new furniture..." It's not like we had any left. She was sitting against our living room wall. But for some odd reason, Mom's room hadn't been touched. Nothing had been missing.

"Does this mean a new school?" I asked across the room. I braced myself for the 'yes'. That would mean new friends, and a majority of new enemies. I didn't want to hear, 'Don't worry, we'll keep in touch, Taylor.' from anyone. They never kept their promises. The last thing we should have been doing was running away from the truth by buying a new house.

Mom didn't answer me. I looked to the living room window to see night falling fast. Unlike that night by the creek with Chad, the sky didn't project beautiful pinks and purples, and that just made me feel all the more miserble. I began gathering my text books and stuffing them into my bag. "I'm going back to Gabriella's, Mom." I stood.

She didn't respond. A sudden feeling of sorry filled my chest. It was like I was looking at my mother for the first time. I looked at her across the room as bars of darkness cast through the window and over her curled up body. She looked tired. And really, really forlorn. I hoped with all that was left of me, that whoever had reduced us to sitting on the carpet and running away from our problems would get what they truly deserved.

* * *

"Okay, so maybe there _is _something I've been hiding..." I winced as I gently closed my locker. Chad eagerly waited for me to complete my sentence. But I knew that once it had left my lips, he would want to shove it back down my throat. "My mom... she was looking at real estate magazines last night, Chad." I explained quietly. 

"So?" He shrugged. "My mom has a picture of Michael Crawford in our refrigerator." I raised my eyebrows. He was missing the point by miles and miles. I wasn't spilling an embarrassing secret about my mother, I was telling him indirectly that there was a good possibility that I was moving away! "It's okay, Taylor, all moms are freaky." he said softly, as if it broke my heart.

I giggled into my hand and tried again. "No, Chad... my mom was looking at real estate magazines, because she's thinking of buying a new house." I said slowly, just so he wouldn't miss another word. This didn't have to be so difficult.

"Wait, so you're going to have _two _houses?" Chad began leading me down the hallway. The closer he held me, the more difficult it was becoming to break the bad news to him. "Cool! How are you going to decide which one to stay in?" he asked, genuinely interested.

I slapped my palm to my forehead and groaned. "I'm only staying in _one_, Chad. And I don't know if it's going to be in the East High school district or... maybe I'll end up going to another school..."

"Hold on," He interrupted. He stopped us in the middle of the hall, placing two inches between us. But it felt like two miles. "You're... _leaving?_" he nervously laughed. "Taylor, that's... impossible. You _can't _leave." I _knew _something was going to go wrong.

I shrugged. "Chad, if I _do_, end up leaving, I have no control in where I go to school. I mean, I could always pay tuition, but that's too much for my mother and me to afford..." I began explaining.

"So get a job!" Chad put his arms up as if he had the simple solution. But it wasn't all _that _simple. "_I'll _get a job. I'll... I'll give you all the money in my bank account. I'll take money from my sister. She won't mind..." Chad's rant was interrupted by the bell. "I can't believe this Taylor." he slowly shook his head. "Don't you remember telling me that you'd never leave us?"

"I... I didn't know that you would take it so hard." I said quietly, looking down at the books I held against my chest. "There's still a possibility that I _won't _transfer schools." the hallways had been drained of students. We were the only two left in the empty corridors. "I'm really sorry, Chad, but you can't blame _me_."

He had fallen silent. He sighed once before turning around. "Chad!" I called after him as he made his way down the hallway, but there was no way he was going to stop. And once again, I had ruined _everything_.

* * *

"He's pissed at me." I brought Gabriella's pillow to my chest and sighed. "He didn't even hold the cafeteria doors open for me. The second he saw me coming, they slammed shut in my face. I was _mortified_, Gabriella, what if everyone saw?" I noticed my voice becoming high-pitched. 

"Just... I don't know..." Gabriella looked up from her homework and shrugged. "Let him cool off. This isn't your fault, Taylor. It isn't even your mother's fault. It's that sorry excuse of a father." she shook her head in disapproval.

And for a split second, I wanted to defend my dad. He was _my _sorry excuse of a father, and just a miniscule piece of me still... cared for him. Love was too strong of a word, because he had screwed up too many times for me to forgive him, let alone _love _him again. I was torn. How could such a messed-up man still hold part of my heart?

**ANOTHER slow chapter, but trust me, things will most definitely pick up in the next few chapters. In fact, do I even detect some CHAYLOR in the next chapter? Hmmmm...**

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	9. Chapter 9

**It's been FOUR WHOLE DAYS! I can't believe I lasted that long in the wilderness with my closest friends for THAT long, without indoor plumbing! Sorry to have kept you waiting!**

Gabriella held a crackling sparkler in one hand, and Troy's fingers laced through the other. I watched as they made their way through my backyard to the picnic tables holding bunches of friends, but a part of me was still nagging that everything was out of place. I swung my legs over my windowsill and waved to my friends across the lawn. I wasn't ready to join the fun. My mother's 'There's a Great Chance That We're Going to Get Out of Here' party was a great hit, but one person was missing.

Mom turned on the white Christmas lights that were strung from the backyard picket fence as night began to fall. Pinks and oranges were being casted through the sky, just like that time at the creek, giving me just the tiniest bit of hope. Maybe he would forgive me. Maybe he would realize that even if I moved a thousand miles away, that we would somehow still be connected. And maybe, this entire mess would disappear, like the dwindling flashesspark on the sparkler Gabriella held. I turned my head to the right and took note of my empty bedroom, reminding myself for the millionth time, that even if my problems were to vanish, I'd still have the memories, and that was just as bad.

The music below became louder, and a sudden cheer rolled through my tiny crowd of friends. A picket fence gateway swung open, and my heart skipped two beats. I skipped the feeling of surprise, and let excited questions fill my head. But everything boiled down to one thought: _Why was he here? _Across the backyard, as far away from me as possible, Chad and I locked gazes with each other.

I leaned against the frame of the window, never diverting my eyes. Was this a silent apology? Chad never looked away, taking a few more steps into the backyard. Closer. I wanted to jump up and scramble to throw dirty clothes under my bed and rip embarrassing posters from the walls, but I remembered that there was nothing to hide. Chad disappeared from sight and I suddenly heard the slam of our front door closing behind him. I straightened my crisp white T-shirt on my body, hoping to calm my nerves. I glanced back to the party displayed in front of me. Everyone seemed to be tuned into something else, but I could tell that they were eagerly waiting to see what would happen next.

He sighed as he came through my open bedroom door. I never looked his way. "What happened?" he asked. I hands nervously curled over the edge of the window. My knuckles felt dead. He hadn't even said hello. "Taylor?" People glanced our way as he swung his legs over the windowsill as well and joined me. I looked up to the sky seeing the familiar colors again. Did he think about that night at the creek as much as I did? "Okay, so I screwed up." he spilled. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry at you, but Taylor, you just can't leave." Was this seriously tearing him up that much?

I nodded as if I agreed and understood. But truthfully, one more question swirled in my head. "Why is it so important that I don't leave?" I asked quietly, not wanting to draw anymore attention to us. But with Chad sitting so close, it was almost as if our surroundings and peers had melted away. I waited in anticipation for his answer, not caring of it was good or bad.

"Are you kidding me? Look around." Chad laughed lightly. And I did just that. I came to realize that he was talking about my friends. _They _cared about me. I saw Gabriella smiling warmly in my direction. I saw Zeke copying a recipe from my mother. It was all coming into perspective for me, that even if I didn't have that 'father figure' in my life, that I still had _friends_ who loved me just the same. I suddenly felt warmed. "So _forget _about your dad, Taylor. He doesn't know what he's giving up. Forget about it and just..." his voice trailed off and he shrugged. "And just..."

"And what?" I gave a small smile. His loss of words sent the butterflies in my stomach topsy-turvy. "Just _what_,Chad?" I looked back across the lawn, and it was as if everyone was holding their breath at once. My mother seemed to be the only one oblivious to what was going on on my bedroom windowsill. And maybe it was for the best. Before I knew it, my face was being pulled away from the crowd. Chad had a finger crooked under my chin, and his smiling lips set me in a state of near insanity.

He said what I was hoping he was going to say. "And just..." his voice came to a whisper. "Kiss me." A hand was tangled in my black curls. Another hand braced my back as Chad put all of his weight into me.The tips of our noses touched, and I felt his breath tickle my upper lip. My arm folded into his chest as he continued to pull me closer, and everyone really did melt away. Chad's mouth covered mine, and it was almost like it was the answer to all of my problems. I found myself pressing against him harder, his tongue going past my parted lips. Then suddenly, we were spinning. It truly felt like it, and the next thing I knew, my head was pressed against somethig prickly. I snapped my eyes open to see mytwirling ceiling fan through the corner of my eye and a very satisfied Chad draped over me. "Sorry." he said sheepishly, rolling off of me.

All I could do was smile and let him help me up from my bedroom floor. I straightened my shirt once more before peering out of the window. A few snickers were popping out of the crowd, but other then that, it was as if they were willing to forget seeing me fall out of my bedroom window if I was. But it was still mortifying. I suddenly felt a hand on my waist and lips to my ear. "That was nice." Chad whispered. All I really wanted was to recapture the feeling of Chad's lips on mine.

I took his hand, looking out to the sky once more, realizing that this day most definitely topped the day at the creek. "Let's go." I smiled, leading Chad out of the room, out of the house, away from the mess that I called my life. And for once, I let it all go, had a good time, and let myself feel complete. And most definitely happy.

**Didja like it? Please Read and Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all of the positive reviews! And all I can say, is hold on... this chapter is going to get ROCKY.**

Why did I have to leave Gabriella's house? Why did I have to say 'I need some fresh air'? I knew that if I had just sat down and done my homework and get distracted by thoughts of Chad, that I wouldn't have been kneeling down, hovering over my father, wondering if he was still alive. Newspapers covered his limp body like a blanket. I tore them away, muttering, "Come on, Daddy..." I lightly patted both sides of his face, hoping he would wake up. "Wake up... wake up..." I panicked. All I had done was cut across Gabriella's backyard into the neighborhood next to the park. And guess who was slumped against the metal fence outside of the playground? "Daddy!" I said a little louder. He groaned, turning his head. His eyes fluttered open. Well, at least he was alive. Now all I wanted to know was what was wrong.

"I gotta tree... in the park, Tay..." he muttered. "I named the tree... it's just a baby." his eyes were slowly closing again. "I named it... Tay. I named it Tay." he repeated before he silenced. He couldn't be dead. He still held part of my heart! I violently shook him, knowing that Gabriella was probably wondering where I was at this point.

"Dad!" I screamed. I was on the verge of tears. Suddenly his eyes snapped wide open, and his chapped lips curled into a weak smile. Now that I knew he was okay, I went back to being angry with him. "Just get out of here before you get in trouble with the..." The wail of sirens cut me off. The all-too-familiar blue and red lights flashed rapidly. "...police..." I whimpered, standing up straight. On the other side of the fence, a police man stood, pulling handcuffs out of his back pocket. He looked tired and fed up, like he just wanted to go home and have a cup of coffee. I gave a weak wave and took a step back from my father.

Once the policeman had Dad in his grip, he stood him up straight, flashed his pocket flashlight into his eyes, and let him drop to the pavement again. My mouth snapped open as Dad flopped to the ground like a rag doll. I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from telling that policeman off. "You're under arrest for the use of illegal substance, soliciting on public property..." and the list went on. Dad groaned and rolled onto his knees. I took another step back.

Soon enough, Dad was pinned to the pavement, his arms cuffed behind his back, shouting in protest. The officer's knee dug into Dad's back.This was just like the day that Daddy was pulled out of our car, and I never saw him again. And I was going to have to live this all over again? I could already see him rolling onto the middle of the street again, only a few inches away from near death. "Wait!" I stepped forward. "This... this is my... _dad_." I winced at my own words.

The policeman looked from me and back to my father pinned to the ground. He let out a chuckle and rolled off of my father as I continued explaining. "All he needs is a little sleep. In fact, if you can give us a lift back to my house, I guarantee that you will never, _ever _see him here again." I knew I was going out on a limb, but maybe if I gave Dad one more chance...

* * *

"We're at my house, Gabriella." I explained into the phone. "I was walking by the playground and he was half-conscious and covered in newspaper. I had to do _something_." I was nervously pacing across the kitchen tile, praying that my mother would get caught in traffic. "He's sleeping in my room." I told her. "Just don't wait up."I said before I hung up the phone, leaning against the kitchen counter. This was my _dad_. Wasn't he supposed to be the one taking care of _me?_

"Taylor!" he shouted from my bedroom. I didn't budge. "Can I have another asprin?" I had already given him four. If he was thinking about getting high in my own house, then he would have to think again. But for that one moment, I loved my dad, and I felt the need to give him whatever it took to make him feel better. I made my way into my room, tossing the bottle of asprin onto his chest. He was curled into a little ball in the corner of my empty bedroom. "I owe you one, Tay." he gave me his stupid grin. I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly. "You really had your daddy's back today." he stood up, making his way towards the door. "Can I borrow a few more bucks, Tay?"

I was just about to say no. But I thought back to him giving me math problems. I thought back to the days where he wasn't just my charity case, but my _father_. And maybe if I helped him out, we could make that a reality all over again. After giving him another twenty dollar bill, he smiled at me. "One day soon, Tay, I'm going to get you some real nice stuff. And me and your mother are gonna be happy."

He left. And just for the moment, I believed him.

* * *

It was the first time since Mom's 'There's a Great Chance That We're Going to Get Out of Here' party that I had spoken to Chad. _Everyone _was there. _Everyone _saw what happened in my bedroom window, so there was no use hiding the fact that we liked each other. But what he asked next... 

I slammed my locker shut, looking up to Chad with cautious eyes. "E-excuse me?" I stuttered. Chad looked reluctant to repeat his bold question, but I pressed harder. "What did you say?" he shrugged trying to look casual, but I knew on the inside, he was a jumble of nerves.

"I asked you if you wanted to be my girlfriend." he said it so simply. But I had already made a decision.

"I'm really sorry, Chad." I shook my head sadly. "I'm really going through a lot right now, and I just need to sort things out..." I started.

"It's okay." he assured me. I searched his eyes for any trace of regret. "Really, Taylor. I can wait."

I smiled up to him as his last words repeated themselves in my head.

_I can wait._

**There are like, two more chapters left, so look out for them! Read and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Unfortunately, the chapter after this one is the LAST CHAPTER! Ahhhhh! Thanks for all of you faithful veiwers, and I can't believe it's almost over! Sorry if the chapter's short I'm just so... depressed that it's almost over...**

**Good excuse, right?**

"I don't know how to explain my relationship with my dad." I shrugged as Chad's hand slipped into mine. We strolled past the same playground where Dad had almost gotten arrested. "I mean, he's here, then he disappears without a trace... then he shows up again." I explained. "I haven't seen him in a week." we stopped at the same fence Dad was slumped against, and some of his newspapers still littered the ground. "Who knows when I'll see him next?"

"I do." Chad said flatly. He pointed past the fence and the playground to a stretch of dead grass. Only a few yards out, a variety of things were being displayed on the grass. We made our way past the fence, and even from the playground, I could still make a few things out. A bookshelf, a naked bed, a tall trophy...

"That's my stuff!" I screeched, charging forward. Chad was right at my heels, and as I came closer, I saw Dad sitting in the grass, a few people milling about inspecting all of _my _belongings. He was counting a thick wad of bills with that stupid smile on his face. "What are you doing?" I noticed a man and his daughter looking at my display of stuffed animals in the dirt. Dad looked up from his money and cursed under his breath.

"Wait... is _this _why your room was empty?" Chad asked, a look of confusion across his face. I didn't answer. I kept my glare on Dad. Did he really think that he was going to sell off my stuff and get away with it? "Hey, it's your Scholastic Decathalon trophy!" he pointed out.

I shook my head in disapproval as my dad stood. "I can't believe you would do this. After I saved your _ass _last week..."

"Tay! Don't talk to me like that!" Dad actually looked concerned. He took a step closer. But he certainly deserved it.

"How _could _you?" my voice became small. "How could you _steal? _From your own family?" my bottom lip quivered and I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly. I hoped he was feeling pretty stupid. "All I wanted to do was _succeed_, Dad. And you ruined it." my eyes stung, which meant tears were on the way. "And I know you don't want to hear this, but Daddy... you're _hurting _me." I blinked and the first tear slipped down my cheek. " You're _hurting _me, Daddy." I suddenly felt like the little girl again, sitting in the backseat of the van, wondering whatever happened to my Dad. That really funny guy that always made me smile. But I suddenly knew. He became... _this_.

"Tay, I..." he was at a loss for words. I hoped he would know the error of his ways. I had forgiven him. I had decided to give him another chance. And he had already blown it. I had kept secrets from my _mother_, the only person who really cared. She had yet to find out who stole her jewelry and who was responsible for the empty house. "I'm really sorry, Tay." But sorry would never, _ever_, _ever _cover what he's done. He looked down to the wad of money in his hand and slapped it into my palm. I let it drop to the ground, because money wouldn't make everything better this time. Chad took my hand again. "Tay... wait." he started. But I didn't want to hear it.

We started back across the playground, ignoring his shouts, and just at the line between the mulch of the playground and the stretch of grass, I saw a tiny tree, still growing, making its way out of the ground. Scratched onto a piece of wood at the base of the tree was the word, 'Tay'. It was my Daddy's tree. The one he said he had named after me. I lifted my sneaker high off of the ground, and let the tree snap in two from the weight of my foot.

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_"You my baby, Tay. Always remember that. You even look like me." he grinned._

_"Thanks, Tay Tay. You really are my little girl. Love you." he smiled before strolling dow the front steps._

_"One day soon, Taylor, I'm gonna get you some real nice stuff. And me and your mother are going to be happy." And just for the moment, I believed him._

I didn't know how I didn't see that his promises were dripping with sugary lies. He was only saying those things to make up for the fact that he was ruining my life. But what I really hated about myself was that _I still loved him_. Even though at that very moment while he was auctioning off my belongings to make money to buy alcohol and drugs, I still wanted to hug him and prompt him to give me another math equation. To make me smile. I drew my knees up to my chest across our empty living room. It was close to eleven o' clock and Chad had fallen asleep in the corner of the room. He looked peaceful with his chin tilted upwards and moonlight casting across his face. I found it confusing how he wanted a girl like me. I found it confusing how my mother could ever want a man like my father. But both were always going to be unsolved mysteries. I crawled across the room, pulling Chad's arms around me like a blanket and closed my eyes. I buried my face into his chest.

"Goodnight, Tay." he whispered into my hair. I smiled and drifted into a light slumber.

Because that name sounded nice coming out of his mouth.

**Awwwww... I can't believe that it's almost over! Now, the question is... to SEQUEL or NOT to sequel? Read and Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Can't believe this is the last chapter! But have no fear! SEQUEL is here! Trailer? No Trailer?**

"Do you ever think that this all happened for a reason, Taylor?" Chad asked next to me. That statement gave me the worst feeling in the world. But the fresh smell of paint swirling through the thick air just gave me the sense of carelessness. I noddded. And in a way, it all began to make sense.

"Yeah. If anyone learned anything from all of this, it's my father." I stated. I attempted to count the stars that hung above the darks sky. But I stopped, knowing that some questions were best unanswered. "He learned that if he truly loved me, he would know what was best for _him_." Chad smiled and folded his hands behind his head, probably counting the stars above too. "But you know what?" For the first time, instead of keeping the thought bottled up, I actually let it out. "I _still _love him."

The glow of stars was out only source of light. I could hear the sound of his rustling nylon jacket as he sat upright, pulling me up with him. "That's what makes you the better person, Taylor. You really don't understand how important you really are, do you?"

I sighed. He was right. I needed to give myself a little more credit. "Maybe I don't..." I suddenly filled with worry again, but I didn't understand why.

"You know what your problem is?" Chad asked playfully. "You think too much. Everything has to be explained logically, or it's wrong." he said. Once again, he was right. He knew me better than I knew myself, and for some reason, I was okay with it.

Silence enveloped us once again, and I thought about what my Dad was doing that very moment. I hoped he was finding a way to make it up to me for ruining my life. "Have you ever heard the song The Real Me?" Chad asked curiously. He spoke without an answer. "My sister's into that kind of sappy, lovey-dovey music. I thought you might like it. May.be I could drop off the CD one of these days?" he asked. I knew it was his only excuse to see me again.

"What a mess I've made of my existence... but you love me even now... and still I see somehow..." I recited.

"But you see the real me..." Chad said, drawing his knees to his chest. He looked to the stars again.

"Hey, guys?" light suddenly leaked into my bedroom, making the freshly painted glow-in-the dark stars on my ceiling shrivel into nothing. "Why is the door closed? You'll die from inhalance." Gabriella laughed and pointed across my empty bedroom. "And I swore I opened the windows."

I felt my face become warm. We had painted my bedroom walls a deep blue earlier that afternoon, and I hadn't even noticed the heavy smell of paint until Gabriella came in. It just showed how oblivious I really was when I was with Chad. "We...we were trying to get the full affect of the glow-in-the-dark stars, Gabriella." I explained.

She smiled slyly before shutting the door without hesitation. "Do you know the last two lines of the song?" Chad asked immediately. "That's what I think of you." he smiled once.

One last time, I looked to the stars letting the entire song scroll through my head and slowing to the last lines. And I was happy I did.

_Wonderful, beautiful is what you see  
when you look at me_

**That's a wrap! Thanxz soooo much for not hating my fic! Sequel's on the way!**


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